Happy New Year everybody!

Hope this coming year will be even an greater success than 2008 for all those teams and athletes out there.

I will see those coaches that are attending the Collaborative Round Table this Saturday. Chris and I are both very excited at this first annual event.

If you have any ideas that you would like to see on this blog in this coming year, please forward them to me at albertjcaruana@gmail.com.

Check out the following article about one of the best teams in Northern CA, Mt. View HS.
Great in ’08 (Los Altos Town Crier/Mt. View XC)

Maria Carrillo needs Track and Field coaches...

Maria Carrillo High School in Santa Rosa has two Head Coach Track & Field
positions open this spring! Looking for expertise in sprints/relays and
field events to help support a great program. Contact Bertha at the Santa
Rosa School District office (707) 528-5631 or MCHS XC Head Coach Greg Fogg
at (707) 291-2967 or e-mail greg.fogg@comcast.net if you're interested.

End of the year highlights for several newspapers...

2008: A year of MH sports in review (Morgan Hill Times/Lance Wolfsmith runs to state)

Top five stories of 2008 (Gilroy Dispatch/Gilroy girls qualify for xc state meet)

Brian Bainum: Bulls market in Marin in 2008 (Marin IJ/several Marin teams and individuals mentioned)

Preps: 2008 highlight reel -- it was very good year (Inside Bay Area/Ashton Purvis of St. Elizabeth)

Year in Review: Aptos dominates SCCAL sports, St. Francis makes strides (Register-Pajaronion)

If you have similar links, send them my way to albertjcaruana@gmail.com

2008 All Norcal XC Team

You can find the All Norcal XC Team at the following link:
2008 All Norcal XC Team

Please email Hank Lawson your mailing address so that he can send you your certificate if you were selected for the team.

COMMENTS WELCOME!

Berkeley's Austin Snyder on his college choice...

On Thursday, December 11th, I was accepted into Brown University. I will be attending the school and running for the team beginning in the fall of 2009. While my athletic abilities have blossomed in the last year, my desire to attend Brown has remained constant since I was a freshman. My choice was based on taking all of my interests to a higher educational level including my passion for history and the arts. I knew that a Division One school was the best place for me, and Brown was the only school where I could pursue all of my interests. That being said, I will remain completely committed to the Brown Cross Country and Track teams. I have complete faith in the coaching staff, and I am sure that they will help me to reach my full potential. It was a shame that I was not able to show the coaches, and the greater public what I was capable of at NCS and State. However, now that the stress of applying to college is behind me, I can focus on the up and coming track season as well as my school work. I wish everyone the best of luck this season! Go Brown Bears!



If any other athletes would like to announce where they are going to college next year, please email me a little about your choice and why along with a picture of yourself to albertjcaruana@gmail.com.

East Bay All-Area Cross Country Picks

All-East Bay boys cross country runner of the year: Wyatt Landrum

All East Bay Cross Country

Cross country's best: George

All-East Bay girls cross country team

All-East Bay boys cross country coach of year: Peter Scarpelli

All-East Bay girls cross country coach of the year: Eddie Salazar

Catching up with former Mt. Pleasant athlete, Vashti Thomas...

Today we chat with one of the best track athletes in California history, current Texas A &M and former Mt. Pleasant student, Vashti Thomas. She finished off her high school career last year with victories at the California state meet in the 100m. hurdles (13.44), long jump (20'0 1/4") and triple jump (42'0 1/4") as she led Mt. Pleasant to a 2nd place finish in the team race. During her junior season, Vashti helped lead the Mt. Pleasant team to the state championship with her placings in the long jump and triple jump and her victory in the 100m. hurdles in an amazing 13.03!

1) How did you started in Track and Field?
I just heard that my Jr. High was going to have a track team so I tried out.

2) What events did you start with as a 9th grader?
Freshman yr. I started with the 100HH., high jump and the long jump.

3) When you first started in the sport, what athletes did you look up to as role models?
I didn't really look up to anyone. I didn't really pay that much attention to track at the time. It was just some thing I did at the time but I didn't think I would be any good.

4) When did you first realize that you could be pretty good in track?
I first realized that I was going to to be pretty good my sophomore year, but even then I didn't feel like I was good.

5) Tell us a little about your coaches in high school and what they meant to your development as an athlete.
Nelson (Head coach Steve Nelson). was the one who found me and put the thought of doing the hurdles in my head.

Angela (Hurdle coach Angela Hill). She was my hurdle coach and my psychiatrist. Not only would she help me improve as a hurdler, she would help me with any issue that was bothering me.

Jamal & Jimmy (Jumps coaches Jamal Elmidge and Jimmy Brown). Jamal introduced me to the triple jump. The way they made practice fun just made me want to be out there so that i wouldn't miss out on the funny stuff.

6) Looking back at your high school career, what do you feel was your best race? best accomplishment? favorite moment?
Looking back I feel that my best race was the first time I fell at the Bay Area Top 8 meet my freshman year. Angela always said that you can't be good at the hurdles until you fall, and I fell hard..lol

My best accomplishment was when I won the 100HH at the state meet my Jr. Year, I felt like all the blood sweat n tears I put in to track had finally paid off.

My favorite moment actually was not on the track, it was when Jeneba,Stella, Deirdra, Marshay, and I were in New York for indoor nationals my sophomore year and we were eating at this pizza place and I forgot what we were laughing about but in that moment I felt like I couldn't be happier.

7) What were some of your favorite meets to attend in high school?
Some of my favorite meets to attend were the Indoor Nationals in NY, not only because I liked the track and there is this graffiti gallery called 5 Points that I would see on the way to the track..lol My other favorite meet to go to was the Stanford Invitational. Although there would be caterpillars hanging from all the trees, I liked watching the college women run.

8) How did you end up choosing Texas A & M and what other colleges did you look at?
I chose Texas A&M because, although i didn't take all my trips, when I went there I felt like I was at home and I wanted to be apart of the Aggie Family. I was looking at USC and LSU and many others but I'm not sure the thought didn't click.

9) If you could give advice to students who are having a difficult time choosing a college, what would that be?
I would tell them that they should look at which school is offering the most. Check out the schools academics and make sure that they offer the classes that the athlete would want to take. Ask about the workouts and how their program works. Narrow it down to five schools. Take all their trips and the college that is best for them will let them know.

10) What has college life been like so far as a student and athlete?
The college life so far has been great once you get past the homesickness. The way my schedule is set up is that I stay busy but I like it. Although sometimes I rather sleep than practice, its nice to have everything planned out.

11) What are some of your goals for this year and beyond?
My goals this year is just to do better than last year. My future goals are to hopefully go to the next Olympics in at least two events.

12) Anything else you would like to add.
Merry Christmas & Happy New Year.

Thank you very much Vashti! AJC

Merry Christmas Everybody...

Hopefully you all received for everything you asked for this year.

Catching up with Santa Theresa's Meagan McKee...

Today we chat with the leading returning thrower to CCS competition this coming season, Santa Theresa's junior, Meagan McKee. At CCS last year, Meagan finished in 2nd place (40'8") in the shot and 4th place in the discus (122'2") behind all recently graduated athletes. She is coached by her dad Ronald who is no stranger to the sport and many of the top throwers in U.S. history.

1) How did you get your start in throwing the shot and discus?
I actually started throwing in the 7th grade, but I've always been around it. My dad has competed in the Scottish Highland Games for as long as I can remember. I was always at the meets and any other track and field competition he was in. Throwing seemed like a family business haha.

2) Tell us a little about your dad and some of his accomplishments in the sport?
My dad, Ronald McKee, threw for Camden High School in San Jose, Ca. He was pretty successful, and won CCS his senior year in the shot put. He went to San Jose City College for 2 years and then transfered to Cal State Northridge on scholarship. In 1988 he competed in the Olympic Trials, and I believe he was 10th. Now he throws for fun but is going to try to compete for the Master's Championships.

3) As you were first starting in the sport, who were athletes that you looked upto and/or motivated you to improve?
Of course there was my dad as a huge inspiration. I was always surrounded with throwers in general. I've met many throwers such as, Al Feuerbach, Mac Wilkins, Wolfgang Schimdt, Jay Sylvester, and many others.

4) What other sports have you done besides track and field?
I played pop warner football for 5 years. I was starting guard, and played some defensive end and linebacker. Sophomore year in high school I played on the JV team as starting guard. I decided not to play the rest of the time in high school because my goal this year is to medal at state, and I didn't want to get an injury.

5) What does a typical week look like for you during track in terms of how often do you throw and are in the weight room?
A typical week is throwing almost everyday. Whether it be both the shot put and the discus or just one a day. I'm in the weight room probably 2-3 times a week. One day I'll do squats, powercleans, and some abs. The other day I'll do benches, snatches, and trunk twists. On both days, I'll do discus flys with 5lb dumb bells.

6) Looking back at your past track season, what do you feel was your best performance?
I feel that my best performance was probably at CCS. You only get 3 throws, and then the best 8 girls get another 3 throws. I almost fouled myself out of the trial part, but I got it back together and ended up getting second with a PR of 40'8".

7) Who will be your toughest competition this coming season in the shot and discus in CCS?
In CCS, my biggest competition will probably be one of my good friends Michelle Chung, from Cupertino in the discus and maybe the shot too. But remember, there is always a surprising new competitor every year so we'll just have to wait.

8) As you look ahead to this coming season, what are some of your goals?
My goal is to obviously medal in state. As for marks, I'd like to reach 46'-47' for the shot, and about 145'-150' in the discus. If they go farther, then I would gladly accept them.

9) At a track meet, what do you for your warmup? Do you prefer throwing the discus first or shot?
My warm ups consist of running a little bit, and stretching. I don't stretch so much that my elasticity is gone, but enough that I won't hurt myself. I prefer to throw the discus first, but it's not that big of a deal.

10) What would your advise be for somebody new to throwing the shot and discus?
You have to have dedication for this sport. Most of the season is concentrated on actually learning how to throw, and to sharpen your coordination. Be confident, and stay with it if you know it's something you want to do.

11) What are the meets you are most looking forward to this coming season?
I love the Arcadia meet in April! The atmosphere is so exciting, it's like a state meet before it happens. A lot of the competitors at Arcadia are going to be the same ones at the state meet. It gives you a look at what you're up against.

12) Anything else you would like to add.
Thank you for asking me to fill out these questions, and I hope you have success in your track season. Maybe I'll see you at CCS!

Thank you very much Meagan! AJC

San Mateo Daily Journal Cross Country Runners of the Year

Perserverance pays off for Wildcat star (Woodside's Daniel Filipcik)

A passion for running moves Scot (Carlmont's Justine Fedronic)